* International Nurses Day 2021 theme is ‘Nurses: A Voice To Lead A Vison For Future Healthcare’
Qatar joins the International Council of Nurses and countries worldwide in celebrating the achievements of nurses on International Nurses Day. Marked annually on May 12, the theme this year is ‘Nurses: A Voice to Lead – A vision for future healthcare’, which focuses on the changes to and innovations in nursing and how this will ultimately shape the future of healthcare.
Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, said: ‘The past year has been incredibly challenging for healthcare workers the world over and to the nursing staff across the healthcare system in Qatar. Nurses have been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 and the management of the preventive measures adopted by the healthcare system. For more than 14 months, nursing staff across Qatar’s health sector, and particularly at Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation, have fulfilled a multitude of roles in providing care for people who need medical treatment due to Covid-19 symptoms. Additionally, our nurses have been central to the rapid roll out of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Program, which is enabling people to become protected against the virus and offers the hope of a return towards normal life. I am incredibly proud and thankful to each and every member of our nursing workforce for their professionalism and commitment to patient care that has led them to accomplish amazing feats.’
International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world every May 12, the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. The International Council of Nurses (ICN) commemorates this important day each year with participation from countries around the world. Qatar has been a keen advocate of promoting nursing professionalism and development as part of the country’s commitment to delivering advanced, high-quality, patient centered healthcare.
‘International Nurses Day is an opportunity to acknowledge all our wonderful nurses who continue to play such an important role in sustaining the health of our communities during the challenging times of this pandemic. We celebrate their positivity, hard work and continued commitment of our nurses in these times, and I am proud of the work that our nurses deliver consistency and thank them for all their efforts,’ said Dr. Samya Al Abdulla, Executive Director of Operations at PHCC.
Covid-19 has undoubtedly put many health systems under a lot of strain, however, this pressure has also led to significant disruption and innovation in healthcare. As the largest professional group providing healthcare services, nurses and midwives are leading this revolution of the healthcare system and this was the impetus for ICN’s International Nurses Day theme of ‘Nurses: A Voice To Lead A Vison For Future Healthcare’.
The sentiment was echoed by Ms. Mariam Al-Mutawa, Acting Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at HMC, who has been part of the Covid-19 tactical command group throughout the past year: ‘’Our mission is to deliver the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to each and every one of our patients and this has been evident in our daily practice caring for our patients in both Covid-19 and other healthcare facilities cross Qatar.’
‘This crisis has demonstrated that nurses are integral to any strategic healthcare crisis planning and the effective deployment of these plans. We are immensely proud of the frontline nurses and midwives who have demonstrated courage, resilience and leadership in these times. Many of our Qatari nursing leaders have shown their commitment and ability to deal with the many challenges they and their teams have faced. It is this spirit of working together in interdisciplinary and multisectoral partnerships for a common goal that has been the uniting factor in the success of Qatar’s Covid-19 healthcare approach,’ said Ms. Al-Mutawa.
ICN defines nursing as encompassing ‘autonomous and collaborative care of individuals of all ages, families, groups and communities, sick or well and in all settings. Nursing includes the promotion of health, prevention of illness, and the care of ill, disabled and dying people. Advocacy, promotion of a safe environment, research, participation in shaping health policy and in patient and health systems management, and education are also key nursing roles.’
